Getting active with Pokemon GO

Friday

Jul 15, 2016 at 12:03 PMJul 15, 2016 at 12:03 PM

Jennie Oemig beverly@wickedlocal.com @BeverlyCitizen

My legs are achy, blisters have formed on my feet and, by the time I get home, I’m completely exhausted and ready to lay down. No, I haven’t been spending my limited free time on the treadmill at my local fitness center. I’ve actually been playing Pokemon GO.

What the heck is that, you ask?

Well, it’s an app, hearkening back to the classic video game and ‘90s television series, that is downloaded on a smartphone. In the matter of just a few days, it’s become a viral phenomenon.

Considering I never really got into the craze as a child, I was skeptical at first. But, what started as a “let’s see what all the fuss is about” download has turned into somewhat of an obsession.

I have been more active in the last few days than I have been since I actually went to the gym regularly. According to the built-in health app on my iPhone, I have logged nearly 10 miles since I started playing. And that’s all walking, folks.

The premise of the game is that players – or trainers, as they're called in the world of Pokemon – are tasked with finding and catching a variety of fictitious creatures called Pokemon. They do this by physically walking around and interacting through the game with the real world, a combination known as augmented reality.

The app uses the smartphone’s GPS and clock to detect where and when a person is active in the game; as one moves around, Pokémon "appear" around them (on the phone screen). Trainers must then fling Pokeballs at the critter until it is caught.

And these things can pop up just about anywhere – on your desk at work, in the doctor’s office, at the library and even in the kitchen while preparing dinner.

Whether I’m in the middle of eating, writing an article for the Citizen or engrossed in conversation with a friend, if I see that a Pokemon has appeared near me, I stop what I’m doing, prep my Pokeball and get to flinging.

After all, you have to catch those critters before they run away -- meaning they’ve likely been captured by another Pokemon trainer in the area.

While in the app, one may see locations where there are blue cubes known as PokeStops where trainers can collect additional Pokeballs, special food, potions and medicines to treat their Pokemon after battle, as well as eggs that will eventually hatch into Pokemon.

There are also taller structures called Gyms; these will appear in one of three colors: red, blue or yellow. Those colors represent teams. Team Mystic is blue, Team Valor is red and Team Instinct in yellow. The color of the Gym represents which team holds control over the location, a feat that is accomplished through winning battles against opposing trainers of another team.

Granted, all of this might sound kind of crazy to those who’ve never played, most people have probably seen or passed someone on the street who was playing. Basically, if you see an individual with his or her phone stop on a dime and start vigorously swiping a finger up the screen, you’ve likely just spotted a trainer.

And, whether or not it was the intention of the app developers to get people outside in the fresh air and exercising, Pokemon GO has certainly accomplished that feat. Dozens of posts have popped up on social media over the past few days with photos showing random people gathered in public locations attempting to catch Pokemon.

Once a location is tapped out, it’s on to the next Pokestop, or if there happens to be a rare or uncommon Pokemon nearby, trainers are willing to go the extra mile (literally) to find and catch it.

On Sunday, while my boyfriend, Jason, and I were having some of our favorite pizza at Flying Saucer in Salem, dozens of people could be seen milling about outside just waiting for some of these mythical creatures to pop up on their phones. Users had set lures – which attract Pokemon to the area – up at four Pokestops in the immediate area, so the restaurant became something of a hotbed for Pokemon.

All the while we were in the restaurant, I was catching all sorts of Pokemon. I kept getting the “you’re crazy” stare from across the table. In fact, Jason may have even said something to the effect that he felt as though he were dating an 11-year-old.

Well, my Pokemon catching prowess actually paid off. After posting some photos to Twitter, I ended up winning a $5 gift card for some Flying Saucer pizza. The business had apparently decided to cash in on the craze and offer rewards for those who stop in and rid the location of Pokemon. As I told Jason after I was alerted to my victory, sometimes it pays to play.

Of course, having one’s head focused directly on a phone while walking can prove to be somewhat of a safety hazard. Multiple people also suffered minor injuries from falling while playing the game due to being distracted.

The app has even led players to congregate near strangers' homes, as in the case when a Pokémon Gym was placed near the house of a Holyoke man who lived in a converted church.

Some folks who may not understand how Pokemon GO works or who may not even know what it is, have reportedly been calling police reporting suspicious people taking pictures.

Sadly, some people have taken advantage of those playing the game.

In Missouri, 11 teenagers became victims of armed robberies by four individuals in a black BMW at a shopping center. The four suspects, who were later apprehended, were able to lure the teenagers using in-game items that attracted more Pokémon.

And a woman in Bridgewater was nearly abducted by two men while she was playing the game.

So, while you’re out attempting to catch ‘em all and be the very best, stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. Don’t venture into neighborhoods with which you’re unfamiliar. Constantly glance up, away from your phone and look both ways before crossing the street or darting into traffic … and, for goodness' sake, watch out for that tree!

-- Jennie Oemig is the editor of the Beverly Citizen and a Beverly resident. She can be reached at joemig@wickedlocal.com or 978-739-8543.